City Laws May Stop Smoking Inside Atlantic City Casinos - Various Standpoints

Legislation is highly likely to end the privilege gamblers enjoyed many years back in Atlantic City casinos. Soon, it may be impossible for individuals who come to play casino games to smoke in public places.

The possible ban didn't just surface unexpectedly - about 2,500 casino workers worked together to instigate steps that would change the norm. These workers feel their health is at stake. Hence, an action by the U.S. government seems imperative.

With the back-and-forth in implementing the new law, there are various viewpoints to consider.

It appears that CEASE members are optimistic about the banning of smoking in casinos. Most of them are hoping the NJ politicians can quickly come to an agreement to ban smoking of all forms, including vaping inside casinos.

Pete Naccarelli, one of the leaders at CEASE and a dealer at Borgata says, "We feel it's going to get done. It will only take some time. Politics is holding back and that's what we're working through"

Speaking on behalf of CEASE, he also says, “We are not experts in politics. So, we don’t have an idea of what’s happening, but in my opinion, the casinos fear that they may lose some money. That’s not backed up by facts - it’s just an old-school mentality and they are letting the politicians know that. So, in turn, the politicians also worry about losing money.”

Meanwhile, a CEASE member, Lamont White implores people to get the courage to pass the casino smoking ban.

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/NewsBurd/status/1600952115391647744?s=20&t=PRuLLr8HLKfunucKdpvg7Q

Naccarelli is probably not wrong about some politicians having biases because they don’t want to lose money. However, a majority of state Senators seem to be sponsoring a bill to ban smoking. For instance, Democrat, Gov. Phil Murphy says, “If a bill came to my desk, I would sign it.”

It has become a choice between health and profit for Atlantic City casinos. Reports claim that if New Jersey passes the ban, gambling revenue may significantly drop. The report doesn't speak about online gambling, but there may be a significant effect too.  In addition, up to 2,500 people could lose their jobs.

A report from Spectrum Gaming Group also claims that prohibition on cigars and cigarettes could cause a 10.9 percent decline in gaming revenue. It may also lead to losing up to $44 million in tax revenue and $93 million in non-gaming revenue.

According to the analysis, the rationale is that most smokers spend “a significantly higher amount” than non-smokers when gambling. Spectrum also estimates that 21 percent of casino visitors are smokers, but only account for 26.1 percent and 31.3 percent of revenue in casinos.

Joe Lupo, Casino Atlantic City, Hard Rock Hotel, and the Casino Association of New Jersey president says a smoking ban would significantly affect South Jersey towns. According to Lupo, the win-per-game rates in smoking sections are 0.5 times higher compared to games in non-smoking sections.

There doesn't appear to be a significant step toward passing the bill to stop smoking. However, CEASE appears to be putting in lots of effort that could amount to success with the appropriate strategy. The fear for many is, 'Will the ban affect the game or industry itself?', "Will it have negative effects on legal online casinos in AC”, and “Is the casino industry ready to make the sacrifice to prioritize health over profits or revenues?”